ARTICLES ABOUT CENTRAL GOVERNMENT BY DATE - PAGE 5

KOLKATA: The performance of members and chairpersons of state electricity regulatory commissions will be assessed by an evaluation committee that will have the power to remove or reappoint them based on their record. The Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2014 , proposes formation of an evaluation committee under the forum of regulators that will examine the performance of each member. The central government will constitute the forum of regulators consisting of the chairperson of the central commission and chairpersons of the state commissions.

CHANDIGARH: Government's ambitious 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' campaign to save and empower girl child will be launched tomorrow by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Panipat in Haryana, the state with the lowest sex ratio. The state government has decided to observe a holiday in all the government and non-government schools on the day. The campaign will be implemented in 100 districts of the country, including 12 of Haryana where the number of girl child is dismally low. The districts of Haryana where the scheme will be launched are-- Mahendergarh, Jhajjar, Rewari, Sonepat, Ambala, Kurukshetra, Rohtak, Karnal, Yamuna Nagar, Kaithal, Bhiwani and Panipat.

SRINAGAR: National Conference working president Omar Abdullah today criticised the Centre over the "delay" in granting a special package to the flood-affected people of J&K, alleging why the proposal submitted by the state government "remains an object of contemptuous neglect". "Now when the state is under the direct control of the central government, I fail to understand why the proposed Rs 44,000 crores flood relief package submitted by the state government to the central government remains an object of contemptuous neglect.

Minister of steel and mines Narendra Singh Tomar spoke to ET's Meera Mohanty in an interview, explaining the need for the recent ordinance amending the MMDR Act of 1957 that introduces the auction of non-coal minerals. The minister needs to balance the demands of the mining industry and its key end user, the steel sector. He defended the decision to allow existing leases that are more than 50 years old an extension until 2020 and 2030 in the case of captive mines. The ministry believes 199 areas, mostly limestone, would be ready for auction soon.

MUKTSAR: Apprehending serious law and order problem in the state following the release of controversial film 'Messenger of God', Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that the screening of the movie has been banned on the advisory of the Government of India (GoI). "The screening of this movie has been banned on the advisory of the Government of India (GoI)", Badal said at Muktsar. Interacting with the media persons on the sidelines of the Sangat Darshan programme of Lambi Assembly segment in Muktsar district, the Chief Minister said that the reports of intelligence agencies of both the State and Centre governments had clearly said that the release of this movie could have led to serious repercussions in terms of law and order problem in the state.

NEW DELHI: The Government today issued fresh show cause notices to prior allottees of coal blocks like JSPL , JSW and Tata Steel , asking reasons behind delays in mines development and warned of deduction in their bank guarantees if they failed to furnish replies. "You are hereby called upon to show cause to why the delay in the development of the coal blocks should not be held as violation of the terms and conditions of the allocation letter, including in detail the reasons for slippage in respect of each milestone and agency responsible for such delay, within a period of three weeks from the date of issue of this show cause," the Coal Ministry said to the prior allottees of around 130 coal blocks.

NEW DELHI: Speaking on discrimination faced by the people from the North Eastern Region in other parts of the country, Union minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore today said the problem lies with both sides and it's a result of "cross-alienation". "We get to hear about the discrimination faced by people from North East in popular media. I feel it is an issue of cross-alienation. The problem is from both the sides. "A smile or a casual greeting can break the ice. It is also the responsibility of our friends from that part of the country to prevent themselves from being alienated," Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rathore said.

LUCKNOW: Kicking off election campaign for the upcoming Delhi Vidhan Sabha polls, BSP president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati today announced that her party would field candidates on all the 70 seats. "I am starting the election campaign for the Delhi Vidhan Sabha elections today... our party would contest all the 70 seats on our own", Mayawati told newpersons here. The BSP supremo, who is celebrating her 59th birthday today as 'People's Welfare Day', said after making promises of "achchey din" in the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP and its central government would now offer allurements and dreams to mislead the people of Delhi.

LUCKNOW: BSP supremo Mayawati today charged the BJP-led central government with implementing the Hindutva agenda of the RSS and neglecting the common people and minority communities. "... the central government is not working in the interest of the common people but is implementing the hindutva agenda of its main organisation RSS and is also benefitting the capitalists... dalits, backwards and religious minorities are being neglected", Mayawati told newspersons here. In an oblique reference to PM Narendra Modi having 'khichdi-dahi-chura' at Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan's house on Makar Sankranti yesterday, Mayawati said Modi is following in the footsteps of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi but that would not influence the Dalits.

CANNING: Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha today said Bangladesh government has submitted a 'worrying' report to the Home Ministry about Trinamool Congress' Rajya Sabha MP Ahmed Hassan Imran. However, he did not elaborate about the content of the report. As per rule, the central government would send the report to the chairman of the Rajya Sabha, the union minister of state for human resources development said after a programme at Mandir Bazar in South 24 Parganas district.